Another Death

Silent prayers on the demise of Urmila Sinha's brother 

This has been a very busy month for us. We have had some extraordinary highs like the party ushering in the New Year, the celebrations at Shekhawat’s house over dinner, setting out for the surf and sands of Alibaug, getting Pushpa and Bijoy Gupta married…
And then there was the incredible low of bereavement when we grieved over the demise of our good friend, Sitaram Hivarkar barely three days back.
Today, we received news of another death. Urmila Sinha informed that she had lost her elder brother last night back home in Bihar.

Banoo Apa pours us hot tea

She came to the Garden this morning just to tell us that she’d be leaving for Dhanbad by the first available train today and isn’t quite sure if and when she will return to Mumbai. “I thank you all for being so loving

Consoling Urmila (c) before she left 

and supportive towards me,” she added tearfully.
From what we could gather, Urmila’s brother was in his late sixties and had been bed-ridden with urinary complications for the past one year. His condition took a turn for the worse when doctors gave up on him a fortnight back and asked for his relatives and friends to be summoned by his bedside. Despite all efforts, Urmila could not get a train reservation. But now she is prepared to travel on a “general ticket”, unreserved.
In moments like this, we are usually at a loss for words. Still, Yusuf Rassiwala and Banoo Apa (who had especially developed a soft corner for Urmila) tried to console her by saying that her brother was now in a “better place” as he had been “liberated” from all the suffering on earth. Shekhawat also advised her not to grieve over what was beyond our control.
After the exercises we observed a two-minute silence for the departed soul.